Nigeria can attract more global funding to tackle the array of environmental disasters affecting different parts of the country by keying into the five focal areas of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the body in charge of all donor funds for addressing pressing environmental issues.
This was the submission of senior officials of the GEF while interacting with fellows of the Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN), who are covering the ongoing sixth GEF Assembly in Da Nang City, Vietnam.
Correspondent Innocent Onoh, who is among the fellows, reports that environmental projects by countries which are executed with global funds are decided at the GEF Assembly that is held every four years.
A cross-section of stakeholders who met in Calabar in Cross River State to explore inherent management opportunities have resolved to sustainably utilise fuel wood in order to add value to the commodity and ensure a healthy and pollution-free environment.
Resource persons and participants from project states at the Sustainable Fuel Wood Management (SFM) Business Forum for Woodlot Developers, Fuelwood Dealers, Efficient Woodstoves Makers and Sellers and MFIs in Calabar, Cross River State
At the Sustainable Fuel Wood Management (SFM) Business Forum for Woodlot Developers, Fuelwood Dealers, Efficient Woodstoves Makers and Sellers and MFIs held from Tuesday, June 19 to Thursday, June 21, 2018, fuelwood value chain actors listed their strategies to include preservation of forest resources, production of a variety of environment-friendly and energy efficient stoves, effective marketing of their products, and the execution of an active business plan.
The forum held courtesy of the “Sustainable Fuel Wood Management (SFM) in Nigeria”, a five-year (2017-2022) project being implemented by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), the Federal Ministry of Environment and other supporting stakeholders.
The three-day forum, according to the promoters of the project, created an opportunity for the players to interact and know themselves and exchange experiences, develop skills, and share knowledge and ideas on innovative business and financing models.
“The event focused on the: establishment of smallholder farmers-managed woodlot; establishment of sustainable fuel wood markets; promotion of energy-efficient woodstoves through market based approaches with community-based micro-credits to incentivise woodlot owners and end-users of cookstoves,” said Okon Ekpenyong, the SFM Project Team Leader and National Coordinator.
A consultant, Dr. D. O. Ladipo, in his presentation that explored the establishment of woodlots as a business enterprise, advised the practitioners to discuss business plan with support of the state coordinator and a microfinance bank.
“In the case of community woodlot, intensive discussions amongst members must have taken place. Remember to include youths and female members of community to have adequate balance on all fronts,” he said.
While listing tree species selection for the project in Delta, Cross River and Kaduna states, Dr Ladipo emphasised that location, design and components of the tree are to be considered when setting up a nursery.
He singled out the Gmelina arborea as an example of a tree species suitable for fuelwood/woodlot planting because, according to him, it is fast growing, can be coppiced easily and several times, yields high volume and has high wood calorific value.
In a presentation titled: “Business and Financing Model for Efficient Woodstoves /Woodlot in Nigeria”, Sir Daniel Ugbama of the Association of Non-Bank Microfinance Institutions of Nigeria (ANMFIN), noted that experience would be leveraged with small groups in trading and crop production financing to woodstove and woodlot financing.
Efficient woodstove, he said, implied the use of woodstoves that emit low smoke or not at all, and that the consumption of the wood is within the reach of an average family living within N500 income daily.
Woodlot, he added, involves the planting and management of trees in groups in an efficient way so that wood is extracted for the purpose of fuel particularly for the low income earners.
“Poverty alleviation will radically receive a boost if efficient woodstoves are encouraged and wood lot practice for fuel is evolved in Nigeria. Micro finance functions better in an environment where all stakeholders are up to their own responsibility, bringing a collective energy for the purpose of providing the necessary reliefs for the low income earner,” said Ugbama.
Speaking on charcoal production and strategies to enhance its sustainability, Ruth Akagu of SRPO BirdLife/CEPF RIT believes that, for charcoal production to be a sustainable enterprise, practitioners should:
Cultivate in local level institutions a greater and keen interest in the management of forests
Establish a conducive policy environment for local level institutions to manage forests
Facilitate the development of local rules and guidelines for managing forests for charcoal production
Improve the processes along the production chain to minimise waste
A paradigm shift from woody biomass to biomass waste
Step up research on adoption and use of alternative feedstock or biomass waste for charcoal production e.g., saw dust, bamboo. Anything organic can be converted into charcoal briquettes.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted prospects of thunderstorms and rains over the central states such as Bida, Mambila Plateau, Makurdi, Minna, Ilorin and Lafia axis in the morning of Tuesday, June 26, 2018.
Thunderstorms
NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Monday, June 25 also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 23 to 32 and 16 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.
It added that chances of thunderstorms and rains were likely over Abuja, Minna, Lafia, Lokoja, Jos and Mambila Plateau later in the day.
The agency predicted that the Southeastern states such as Enugu, Awka, Owerri, Abakaliki and Obudu would experience morning thunderstorms and rains with day and night temperatures of 29 to 32 and 22 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.
It also predicted prospects thunderstorms and rains over southwestern states like Lagos, Abeokuta, Iseyin, Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Shaki, and Osogbo throughout the forecast period with day and night temperatures of 27 to 30 and 21 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.
NiMet further predicted morning thunderstorms and rains over the south-south cities like Benin, Calabar Uyo, Yenagoa and Portharcourt with day and night temperatures of 29 to 30 and 22 to 23 degrees respectively.
According to NiMet, Northern States would experience chances of thunderstorms and rains over Maiduguri, Potiskum, Yelwa, Nguru, Dutse, Gombe and Bauchi during the morning hours while other cities are likely to remain under cloudy conditions.
“However, Sokoto, Kano, Yelwa, Dutse, Gombe, Yobe, Katsina and Bauchi will have prospects of thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperatures of 29 to 32 and 21 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.
“There are prospects of thunderstorms and rains across the country within the next 72 hours,” NiMet says.
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has given priority to irrigation and water supply sector in its 2018 budget of N155 billion, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Water Resources
President Muhammadu Buhari had presented the budget to the joint session of the National Assembly for consideration since Nov. 7, 2017.
Mr President had also on Wednesday, June 20 signed into law the 2018 budget of N9.12 trillion, after being passed by the National Assembly.
A look at the budget showed that the Zobe Water Supply Project in Katsina State has N1.8 billion toward the completion of the phases 1 and 2.
The Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) project, which is aimed at scaling up access to water and sanitation, has N1 billion for its execution.
Over N53 billion was, however, budgeted for provision of water supply, rehabilitation of dams, and irrigation projects nationwide.
In their reactions, some stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector opined that full implementation of the budget should be pursued with vigour.
Mr Victor Olaomi, Coordinator, Alliance for Water and Sanitation, an NGO, said it was important for all tiers of government to implement policies and programmes that would improve citizens’ lives.
According to him, the group will set up machinery to monitor the implementation of the budget in the sector.
“We call for the full implementation of the provisions of the 2018 budget in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, this is crucial for development to be felt at all tiers of government.”
Mr Benson Attah, National Coordinator, Society for Water and Sanitation in Nigeria (NEWSAN), wondered why the ministry allocated N1 billion to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in the 2018 budget.
“The 2018 budgetary allocation to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources could be likened to a situation where a parent would just get any playing object for a weeping child in order to engage the child’s attention to enable him/her go about other more important issues.
“In the document prepared by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on the over view of water, sanitation and hygiene, the ministry claimed that Nigeria requires $2.74 billion annually to achieve 100 per cent access to basic water supply and sanitation services by 2030.
“How then would the Federal Government justify its allocation of N1 billion to PEWASH in the 2018 budget?
‘‘This is grossly low and far away from reality and not to even talk about commitment to improved WASH service delivery.
“NEWSAN hereby call on the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Federal Government to remedy this gross mistake or gross over sight, government should not forget that this is a contradiction to the earlier provision.”
Attah added that this could not be attainable following the value of the current exchange rate to be over N900 billion.
He said the Federal Government ought not to come up with a defence that the state would contribute the balance.
He buttressed his position with state governments’ failure to honour commitments entered into with their development partners.
The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) stressed on Monday, June 25, 2018 Africa’s commitment to strengthen the momentum in the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Fatima Denton, ECA’s Director of Special Initiatives Division
The ECA further stressed that the continent would speak with one voice during the upcoming High-level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF) to be held at the UN headquarters in July.
The HLPF, which will be held in New York from July 9 to July 18, is expected to review implementation of some of the SDGs, including the SDGs Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation, Goal 7 on affordable and clean energy, Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production, Goal 15 on life on land and Goal 17 on partnerships for the goals, according to the ECA.
“The ECA and its partners will take to the HLPF Africa’s position as agreed by stakeholders at the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) that was held in Dakar, Senegal, in May,” said Fatima Denton, ECA’s Director of Special Initiatives Division, on Monday.
“The key messages that came from the ARFSD will serve as Africa’s collective regional input to the annual high-level political forum,” Denton said.
According to the ECA, Africa needs to mobilise between $600 billion and $1.2 trillion annually if the continent is to achieve its targets as set in Agenda 2030 and its 50-year development plan, Agenda 2063.
Sylvain Boko, Head of the Development Planning and Statistics Cluster in the ECA’s Capacity Development Division (CDD), also stressed the need to join efforts in mobilising resources so as to strengthen the continent’s momentum in achieving the SDGs.
“Achieving the ambitious targets of the 2030 Agenda requires a revitalised and enhanced global partnership that brings together governments, civil society, the private sector, the UN system and other actors and mobilises all available resources,” said Boko.
According to the ECA, the ARFSD is an inter-governmental and multi-stakeholder platform to review progress, share experiences and lessons learned and build a consensus to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
The ARFSD with regard to clean water and sanitation agreed that water is critical to achieving Africa’s desire of fast economic growth, which will lead to the attainment of a continent free of poverty and hunger, as encapsulated in Agendas 2030 and 2063, according to the ECA.
“The continent lags behind in access to clean water and decent sanitation services,” the ECA said.
“This has serious implications, including for the health and productivity of the people in the region, and undermines their capacity to cope with various shocks.”
The ARFSD recommended the full and effective implementation of the African Water Vision 2025 was crucial to addressing the multiple challenges, enhancing access to water and strengthening integrated water resources management on the continent.
With an increasing population and demand for socioeconomic development, water resources in Africa are projected to become a source of tension, conflict, environmental degradation and vulnerability, it was noted.
“For every SDG we discussed at the ARFSD we will be able to provide regional input to discussions at the HLPF with one voice as we seek ways together to effectively implement the SDGs to eliminate poverty and inequality,” said Denton.
She also stressed that “Africa was more than ready and committed to doing more in the implementation of the sustainable development goals.”
The ECA also revealed on Monday that it will hold a continental High-Level policy dialogue on development in Egypt’s capital Cairo from 10-12 July to evaluate resources and implementation of the SDGs.
The high-level policy dialogue, which will be held under the theme “Financing the SDGs in Africa: Strategies for Planning and Resource Mobilisation,” is expected to provide a platform for African development planners and finance experts to discuss and deliberate on strategies for financing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Africa, it was noted.
The high-level dialogue, among other things, is also expected to assess funding requirements and gaps for realising the SDGs in Africa; identify domestic and international funding sources, including innovative ones for SDG financing in Africa; enable African countries to exchange experiences on mobilising resources, including good practices and lessons, it was indicated.
An environmentalist, Mr Victor Asobo, has urged the Benue State Government to establish a pollution control board to facilitate efforts to protect the environment and people’s health.
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on a flood assessment tour of Makurdi
Asobo, the Chief Executive Officer, VIKTUWA Environment Managers Ltd., made the call on Monday, June 25, 2018 in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
He said that the proposed board should be directly responsible for the regulation and control of air, water and land pollution in the state.
Asobo said that the establishment of the board would aid efforts to contain the growing water and land pollution in the Wadata River bank as well as the Makurdi North Bank and High-Level areas, among other neighbourhoods across the state.
“It is necessary to create such a board because the outcome of the growing water and land pollution in those areas could be terrible.
“We have only one environment and if we don’t protect it; then, we are heading for doom,’’ he added.
Asobo said that the creation of a pollution control board was crucial to efforts to protect the environment, adding Kaduna and Lagos states, for instance, already had a similar agency in place.
“The board will be responsible for the control of air, water and land pollution. It will also take the responsibility of environmental pollution control off the sanitation agency.
“The work on the protection of the environment is beyond the capacity of the current agency, Benue State Environmental Sanitation Authority (BENSESA).
“This is a wakeup call for our policy makers,” he added.
Asobo said that whenever policies were strengthened, action plans would be drawn, while specific responsibilities would be attached to every action.
He underscored the need for the government and the private sector to work together in efforts to safeguard the environment from all forms of pollution.
He, however, urged government and other relevant stakeholders to initiate policies and programmes that could help to mitigate the impact of plastic pollution and other forms of pollution on the ecosystem.
The Third UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2017 noted that one in four of all deaths worldwide, or 12.6 million people, in a year could be attributed to environmental pollution.
The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAM) says conditions of operation in Lagos State have become unsuitable and undermining its members’ jobs.
Lagos waste PSP operators at work
Chairman of AWAM, Mr Oladipo Egbeyemi, said on Sunday, June 24, 2018 that there was an effort to undermine AWAM members, popularly known as Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, in waste management in the state.
Egbeyemi spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that Mr Adebola Shabi, Special Adviser to the state Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode on Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), instructed the residents not to pay PSP operators for refuse evacuation.
The AWAM chairman claimed that the development was meant to arm-twist PSP operators to work under Visionscape Sanitation Solutions, an environmental utility group contracted by the Lagos State Government to implement its new integrated waste management policy encapsulated in CLI.
According to Egbeyemi, the waste managers have invested much in waste management in the state, and need to recover their investment.
”A new compactor costs over N36 million and one of our members has brought five compactors to boost waste management in the state.
”If someone invested so much, how does he recover the investment?
”Engineer Adebola Shabi goes to local governments disseminating information that communities should desist from paying PSP operators.
”He said that the residents will be furnished with operators that will be handling their refuse, thereby trying to discountenance PSP operators in that environment,” the AWAM chairman claimed.
Egbeyemi said that the terms and conditions given to the waste managers were not viable.
According to him, PSP business will collapse with such conditions.
He said that waste management was capital intensive.
”Unless we are able to recoup the money we invested, we cannot continue in the business.
”Diesel price has gone up from N180 to N190 and now N250 per liter, and we can’t increase the price of our service.
”Nobody is ready to pay the amount given to him, let alone paying a higher rate. How will the business be profitable?” the chairman asked.
Reacting, Shabi said that there was no need for residents to continue to pay PSP operators since Visionscape was paying them.
The official said that the CLI team had been sensitising the residents on waste management.
According to him, PSP operators can have special arrangements with residents of organised estates so they can be paying them.
”But in areas where Visionscape and the operators have an agreement, Visionscape is the one that will pay PSP operators to evacuate waste free of charge.
”If the residents continue paying the operators, it means the operators are being paid double.
”We have resolved issues with the PSP operators such that some of them have been co-opted to work together with Visionscape,” he said.
According to Shabi,140 PSP operators had been certified by the state government.
“It is the remaining ones who don’t have compactor that don’t want to get certified.
”In the past, we had 350 operators but 140 have been certified by government,” he said.
An Ecologist, Mr David Michael, has called for the adoption of effective mitigation measures and proper plans to prevent flooding in the country.
Flood in Lagos: The city of Lagos susceptible to flooding from rainfall
Michael, who is the Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday, June 25, 2018.
Michael noted that flooding could be controlled or prevented if there were improved drainage systems, as good drainage channels would ensure easy flow of excess water during and after rainfall.
He said that flooding could be prevented by constructing drainage and water canals, while also maintaining them.
“Flooding can be prevented in many ways but much more important is that while trying to prevent flooding, the first thing that should come to the mind should be the introduction of effective mitigation measures and proper plans.
“Flooding can be prevented through proper planning. Much of these measures should be taken in areas that are prone to flooding,’’ he added.
Michael also called for the integration of land and water management strategies so as to protect soils from erosion, salinization and other forms of degradation.
“There is need for protecting the vegetative cover, which can be a major instrument for soil conservation against wind and water erosion,’’ he said.
The ecologist underscored the need to integrate the use of land for grazing and farming where conditions were favourable, allowing for a more efficient cycling of nutrients within the agricultural systems.
Besides, Michael said that there was a need to apply a combination of traditional practices with locally acceptable and locally adapted land use technologies.
“We need to give local communities the capacity to prevent desertification and manage dry land resources effectively.
“Turning to alternative livelihoods which do not depend on traditional land uses, such as dry land aquaculture, greenhouse agriculture and tourism-related activities, is less demanding on local land and natural resources and yet, it provides sustainable income.
“There is need to create economic opportunities in dry land urban centres and in areas outside of dry lands,’’ he said.
He noted that even though flooding was a natural consequence of heavy rainfall, flooding could be aggravated by dumping of refuse into drainage channels.
He advised the people to desist from erecting buildings around watercourses because such structures could block the waterways during rainfall and thus, cause flooding.
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress (BARC 2018) opened on Monday, June 25, 2018 at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing, China, welcoming around 1,200 participants, including 500 from other countries.
Bamboo
The three-day conference is expected to result in an outcome document on the role of bamboo and rattan in achieving sustainable development, especially with regard to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as international development cooperation initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
Zhang Jianlong, Administrator, National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), conveyed a welcome message from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, followed by video messages from Lenin Moreno, President, Ecuador, and Juan Manuel Santos, President, Colombia. There was also an address by Shitaye Minale, Deputy Speaker of the House, Ethiopia. Speakers highlighted their commitment to sustainable development and highlighted ongoing cooperation efforts on the use of bamboo and rattan in livelihoods, land restoration and mitigation of climate change.
Hans Friederich, Director-General, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), expressed appreciation to the Government of China for its role in organising the conference. Hao Mingjin, Standing Committee, China National People’s Congress, highlighted China’s readiness to promote and deepen South-South cooperation, support INBAR’s work, and cooperate with the international community to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Rubén Flores, Chair, INBAR Board of Trustees, presented Jiang Zehui, Chair, BARC organising committee, with a lifetime achievement award for her work in forest science, developing global standards for bamboo engineering, and enabling China’s support for INBAR and its establishment as an international organisation.
The opening day featured a ministerial summit, a plenary dialogue on South-South cooperation, and parallel sessions were convened around the venue, discussing experiences of bamboo and rattan-related cooperation among countries, public and private sectors, and industry and research actors.
BARC 2018 is jointly organised by INBAR, NFGA, and the International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan (ICBR), a research institute under the State Forestry and Grassland Administration of China. It is the first international, policy-focused conference on how bamboo and rattan can contribute toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The conference theme is “Enhancing South-South Cooperation for Green Development through Bamboo and Rattan’s Contribution to the SDGs”.
Countries in North and South America have been urged to join hands to tackle cross-border and cross-cutting global issues that may be challenging to an individual nation.
SAC Chair, Edwin Castellanos; IAI Executive Director, Marcos Regis da Silva; CoP Chair, Oscar Cobar; Rafael Barrios, Guatemala; and EC Chair, Maria Uhle, at a press conference during the IAI CoP-26
Executive Director, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), Marcos Regis da Silva, made the submission on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 during the opening of the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-26) to the IAI in Antigua, Guatemala.
The IAI director emphasised the organisation’s efforts in providing transdisciplinary research with a regional framework that responds to the needs and priorities of Parties based on scientific knowledge.
While opening the CoP and welcoming delegates, CoP Chair and National Secretary for Science and Technology (SENACYT) in Guatemala, Oscar Cobar, stressed that scientific knowledge is the best resource for all countries in all regions to tackle the issues of global change.
Rafael Barrios, speaking on behalf of Guatemalan Vice-President Jafeth Cabrera, underlined the need for more and improved knowledge on climate change, highlighting the relevance of the IAI in this regard.
During the CoP, presentations were made on: Mayan science, culture and civilisation; Science-Policy Workshop recommendations; science and technology impact projects in Guatemala; and climate action in Guatemala.
The CoP adopted more than 30 decisions related to: financial and budgetary matters; a long-term communication strategy and plan; a 25th anniversary publication; the IAI Scientific Agenda; open data policy; and fundraising-related issues. The CoP also: retired the decision on the Tripartite Agreement; added three new IAI Associates, namely Rede Clima, Future Earth, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); elected new EC and SAC members; and accepted Ecuador’s offer to host CoP-27.
The CoP was preceded by the 45th meeting of the Executive Council (EC-45), a Science-Policy Workshop, and the joint meeting of the CoP’s advisory bodies: the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC).
SAC Chair, Edwin Castellanos, who is of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, presented outcomes and recommendations from the Science-Policy Workshop that was held on June 19. He underlined the importance for the CoP to have a better vision for the IAI’s direction in the coming years.
While discussing the work of the SAC and SPAC that was presented in the workshop, he highlighted work related to dry forest, nitrogen cycles and AGUASCAPES as examples of how the IAI promotes scientific research and links research to the national and international policy agendas.
Cobar described science and technology in the Guatemalan context, and outlined the ways in which financing is provided for research and science projects in his country. He noted that investment in science, technology and innovation (STI) represents only 0.029% of Guatemala’s GDP, the lowest in the region.
Cobar highlighted that: Guatemala is one of the few countries in the region with a constitutional article on science and technology; two laws have been passed to operationalise the article; and the budget exclusively for funding science and technology totals around $3 million annually. He called for: more student involvement in knowledge generation; building research skills; building a “knowledge society” based on STI; and more government investment in STI.
Speaking in his capacity as professor at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Castellanos emphasised the need to accelerate national action towards reducing the impacts of climate change and bridging the gap between the current situation in Guatemala and what is required under the Paris Agreement.
He described the creation of the Guatemalan System of Climate Change Science (SGCCC), a national, multi-stakeholder science body on climate change, which: evaluates and generates scientific information on climate science, adaptation and mitigation; passes this information on to policymakers; and emphasises the importance of indigenous knowledge and traditional ways of life in Guatemala.
Tata Felix Sarazua, a representative from the Sotz’il, a Mayan indigenous community, presented actions on climate change, stating that Mayan science is “the energy” that fosters in-depth research and provides advice to their communities. He explained the concept of “cosmovision” in which Mayan science and technology combine ancestral knowledge, spirituality and epistemology obtained through observation and experimentation, and the formulation and verification of hypotheses.
Sarazua underscored the capacity of Mayan indigenous peoples to adapt to their environment as a result of their scientific knowledge, and that they, therefore, possess alternative solutions that can contribute to climate change adaptation. He underscored differences between Mayan and Western science and ways of accumulating and using knowledge, and called for a mixed approach using both sciences to tackle climate change.
